Curry out for at least next three games
Warriors plan to start rookie Wiseman for the rest of year
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who has missed the last two games with a tailbone injury, will miss at least three more games following Tuesday night’s game against the 76ers.
According to head coach Steve Kerr, Curry underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning that revealed inflammation in the tailbone area. Curry will be re-evaluated in a week.
“Our training staff and Steph put their heads together and decided this is going to be a little bit longer than we thought and we hoped,” Kerr said.
Following Tuesday’s game against the 76ers at Chase Center, Curry will miss upcoming games against the Kings (Thursday), Hawks (Friday) and Bulls (Monday).
This is an unanticipated setback for Curry and the Warriors who, at 22-21, are in the midst of a playoff push in the Western Conference. They’re currently in
ninth place, which would place them in the play-in tournament the NBA instituted for this season between the teams who finish in seeds 7-10 in each conference. They enter Tuesday night’s game three games ahead of 11th-place Oklahoma City (19-24).
In 39 games, Curry is averaging 29 points on 47.5% shooting, including 40.8% from 3-point range, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
Curry, 33, lost his balance as he backpedaled after a missed 3-point attempt with 2.9 seconds left in the third quarter of last Wednesday’s win over the Rockets. He fell onto a metal riser near the court and, after grabbing his backside in pain, walked toward the locker room under his own power. WISEMAN WILL START >> Rookie center James Wiseman is expected to start the rest of the season, Kerr announced Tuesday. Kerr said Wiseman will start at center for the first time since March 4 and anticipates the 7-footer will hold the position for the final 29 games of the season.
“I anticipate James is going to start the rest of the season,” Kerr said. “You never know how things play out, but there’s 29 games left. It feels like a good time to get him into the lineup.
Before Tuesday’s game, Wiseman, Kevon Looney and Eric Paschall were all cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols and were allowed to play. WORKING TO GET FANS BACK >> More than a year since fans last attended a Warriors game, San Francisco mayor London Breed suggested that spectators may soon be allowed at Chase Center.
Speaking at a news conference as the city readies to move into the orange tier today, Breed referenced the Giants’ plans to have a limited number of fans at their April 9 home opener before acknowledging city officials are also working with the Warriors in plans to host fans for home games.
“Once we finalize those plans, they will be made public, and I’m really excited about that,” Breed said.
KERR ‘ANGRY’ AT NOTION HE’D BLAME DURANT FOR STRESS >> Kerr made a point to clear up any notion he’d speak disparagingly about Kevin Durant’s time with the team.
An angry Kerr addressed the media Monday, saying a reporter’s tweet mischaracterized a comment he made during a podcast released earlier in the day. On the podcast, Kerr said he enjoyed coaching last year’s last-place team more than he did coaching during Golden State’s journey to a fifth straight NBA Finals.
In a podcast with the Ringer’s Logan Murdock, a former Bay Area News Group reporter, and exWarrior Raja Bell, Kerr talked about the gutwrenching battle to get back to the Finals in 2019.
However, an NBC Sports Bay Area reporter sent a tweet tying Kerr’s stressful times during the 201819 season and the fact it was Durant’s final year with the Warriors. While it’s true that was Durant’s third and last season with the Warriors, Kerr was upset that the tweet insinuated he was placing any blame on the star forward.
“To take that comment, put it into a tweet, and send it into the universe was so irresponsible and damaging. And, I’m angry,” Kerr told reporters.
Durant, one of the NBA’s most engaged players on Twitter, wasted no time reacting to the reporter’s tweet: “This is hilarious,” the Nets star tweeted.